An article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal reports how Dallas product designer and marketer, Cricket Lee, attempts to standardize women’s clothing sizes and fits in the US. She has created a sizing system called Fitlogic, which sets a universal standard for sizing women’s clothes based on measurements and body types. The Fitlogic system categorizes women into three shapes:

• Thick waist and thin hips (Straight)
• Curvy but proportional (Curvy)
• Thin waist and round bottom (Round)

You can find your fitlogic fit by answering a few simple questions. I entered my measurements and received the following response:

“The Fitlogic Fitfinder cannot find a size meeting the measurements you have entered. We understand how important the proper fit is and how difficult measuring yourself can often be. Please take a moment to double-check your entries and proceed with the Fitlogic Fitfinder once more”.

I can assure you that I measured myself properly and entered the data correctly. Perhaps I’m in the 10% minority (the article does say that the algorithm currently works for 90% of women), but the reality is that women’s bodies defy standardization. If you struggle to find pants that fit, the best remedy is to get as close as possible and then do alterations to perfect the fit.

Watch this video to get a simple explanation of the Fitlogic system.

It’s interesting that some women are more comfortable in heels than flats, feeling that flats are unflattering and don’t provide the support of a heel. Feeling awkward in flat shoes usually makes fashion sneakers a no-no, but with heeled fashion sneakers coming back, they might be an option after all.

I’m personally sticking to flat All Star Converse, but if you like the idea of an uber-casual heeled shoe, the wedged sneaker trend is for you. You won’t look odd wearing this heel to a sporting event.

I had a pair of athletic inspired wedges in the ‘90’s, but they weren’t as sleek as the styles that have surfaced this season. I’ve tried on the silver pair on the right and they are very comfortable.

This recent article in UK Guardian reports that fashion e-tail is a big growth area in the United Kingdom, with 97% of British web users shopping online. Apparently 36% of these shoppers are buying clothes. This is an increase of 40% in the past two years.

I only started shopping online regularly about 18 months ago. Clothing, footwear and accessories are extremely tangible and the thought of purchasing a product without inspecting it or trying it on was beyond my comprehension. In the end it was the frustration of not getting a particular size, colour or style in brick and mortar stores that won me over.

I started doing the Zappos thing and was pleasantly surprised at how painless it was. Their product reviews are accurate and the shipping is free. I gained online shopping confidence and started ordering a variety of product categories from Esprit, Nordstrom, Tulle, Spiegel, Macy’s and Bare Necessities. So far so good.

I’m still discerning about what I order on-line. It isn’t always possible, but I prefer to order a clothing item via the internet after I’ve seen it in the flesh. I also like to order from sites that allow in-store returns. I buy a small proportion of my clothes online – probably less than 5%. But for underwear and shoes the online percentage is closer to 50%.

Tell us about your online shopping habits. How much of your wardrobe is purchased through e-tail? Do you return a sizable portion of what you purchase through the internet? Which items do you prefer to buy online and which do your prefer to purchase in store?

I’m always on the hunt for comfortable shoes that look fab and I recently scored another pair. They’re dressy Anne Klein snip-toe ballet flats with an ultra soft flexible sole that cushions the foot beautifully. Shoes with decorative buckles on their vamps often cut into your skin as you walk because the buckles spill over the edge of the shoe. But these buckles don’t because they’re positioned away from the edge. They’re also cut low enough so that none of the bones on my feet chaff against the sides of the shoe. My hopes are high that this ped will make the “8-hour” mark.

I ordered these shoes because the Zappos reviews were very encouraging. I can’t tell whether they offer enough arch support because I don’t seem to have a problem with the arches of my feet; but they’re soft and a lot more substantial than many of the flats around. You might need to go up half size if your feet are a little wider because the toe box is snug. Roll on Spring, I can’t wait to break in my new skimmers.

These flats are available in patent and leather in a variety of colours.